Science Fiction Shorts: Science Fiction Shorts, #1

By E L Russell

This is a collection of science fiction Short Stories and Flash Fiction of people dealing with the consequences of genomic engineering, intended or natural.

• The Stop
• To Find a Thief
• Sniper – POV
• Bottoms Up
• Critique Circle
• The Commitment
• The Beginning of the End
• The Night We Lost Cleveland

 

We hope you enjoy binging through some shorts that led to wonderful Novels. - E L Russell

• Language: English
• Publisher: Entanglement Publishing
• Release date: Dec 11, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393927822

E L Russell

Editorial Reviews About the Authors Enid and Enos Russell hail from Houston and sincw 2010 have published 15+ high-concept science fiction and techno-thriller novels, as well as 10+ Short Stories. Our first question is always, "What could go wrong?" Educated in mathematics and research, I have spent ten years writing White Papers advising corporations on emerging technologies. My latest research has resulted in a series of novels and short stories about the ability to re-program inheritable genetic code, curing disease through self-healing, waging war, and acquiring immortality. Our protagonists, powerful women scientists, medical researchers, are members of the next human species, Homo Evolutis. We publish through Entanglement Publishing. --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Book preview

Introduction

Thank you choosing to read some of my favorite short stories. At the time of publication, each was a top performer. Most of them represent ideas that do not fall within one of the main plots of our novels. Still, they need to be told for enjoyment and for awareness of things that could go wrong. Most writers are aware of the principle behind the following quote about Chekhov’s Gun:

Remove everything that has no relevance to the story. If you say in the first chapter that there is a rifle hanging on the wall, in the second or third chapter it absolutely must go off. If it's not going to be fired, it shouldn't be hanging there.

- Anton Chekhov

Historically, Chekhov’s Gun has proven valid with every deadly scientific or technological advancement. If it can fail, it will. If it can kill, it will.

We are approaching a day when reprogramming and creating new DNA will be a relatively simple with computer assisted development available to anyone. The quote that begins in my soon to be published novel, Genecaust, expresses my thoughts:

A Holocaust must be remembered so it will never happen again. A Genecaust must be anticipated so it will never happen.

- E L Russell, 2014

1

The Stop

By E L Russell

2

Writer’s comments

The Stop , is a horror story is about woman who is stopped for speeding on a dark rural road late at night. During a mad encounter with a strange cop, she discovers help is not always were you expect to find it. Readers have said they enjoy this story one no matter how often they read it.

- E L Russell

---

The Stop

Darkness had fallen on the lonely rural highway. Tired and hungry, Alice turned down the scratchy radio and scanned her GPS for a motel. As far as she could tell from the screen, she had spent the past hour driving through an empty gray region with no discernible features except for a few thin twisted black lines on her dashboard GPS. Her car was not on any of them. I’m off the freaking grid.

A dimly lit gas station came into view. Trying to decide if she should stop, she slowed her car to check it out. Her gas gauge indicated slightly less than a quarter tank.

Need gas. Freaking short cut to the Interstate may be longer than that yahoo claimed. Where is the damn freeway?

Alice coasted slowly into the dark station and paused before pulling under a small covered section containing two pumps. The inside lights were off and there were no other cars. One pump’s hose had a white plastic bag duct taped to its handle.

Crap, they’re closed.

She noticed the other pump had a credit card reader and pulled next to it.

I hope that still works.

Before she unlocked her doors, Alice checked her mirrors and turned to look out both rear windows for any signs of danger. Not seeing any movement, she removed her credit card, put her purse under the armrest, and unlocked the door.

A sudden noise in the tall weeds behind the station caused her to stand close to the car door. Her eyes searched the shadows for several seconds before her hand stopped shaking so she could swipe her credit card. She waited for approval. Hearing or seeing nothing unusual, she inserted the nozzle into her car and continued scanning the darkness surrounding the small station.

Another muffled noise in the weeds made her stop fueling. Holding the gas nozzle like a gun, she looked around.

Something like a small dark animal scurried between the weeds and the bushes next to the ice machine.

Okay, that’s enough gas to get to the Interstate.

She clumsily returned the nozzle, jumped into the car, and locked the doors. As she pulled away from the pump a slight thump under her car sent a chill through her body.

Crap! I ran over something.

Alice drove down the dark highway without looking back. She locked her hands on the steering wheel trying to shake off the cold chill.

Relax. Need some music. Slow down

She found a soothing tune on the radio. The road enclosed her car in blackness offering only a faint clue about her surroundings.

Nothing’s after you.

She stole a furtive glance at her rear-view mirror.

Nothing.

Her apprehension diminished in relation to the distant, fading light of the gas station behind her. The headlights revealed little in the darkness ahead. She tried to concentrate on the gentle, late night country music.

Without warning, flashing lights illuminated her rear view mirror and a double-blast of short siren woops filled the car. Shocked and frightened, Alice glanced at her speedometer.

I’m not speeding!

Keeping one eye on the mirror, she turned the radio down not knowing what else to do.

The siren had scared the wits out of her and she frantically searched the darkness for a safe place to pull over. A slight rise in the road revealed the distant lights of the Interstate.

Crap, so close.

An approaching billboard caught her attention. Its dim lights extended over an old and torn billboard ad.

At least there’s some light.

Alice engaged her